Christmas Gifts
by Haley Cullen
Summary: AU. Edward and Alice come to visit Bella on Christmas Eve. There is gift giving, both sweet and bittersweet. [E&B]


**It's Christmas time!!! That means Christmas Twilight fics. Enjoy!**

**P.S.- Review, my readers, review!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

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It was Christmas Eve. I put another ornament on our Christmas tree. Charlie and I had spent the entire night picking out a Christmas tree, setting it up, and now we were on the decorating part. I had enjoyed my night with Charlie. We had different Christmas music playing on the mixed CD I had Renee send up for me.

Right now Winter Wonderland and I stepped to the beat around the tree as I decorated. Christmas was my favorite holiday. Everyone was always so happy and generous around Christmas time. I loved to get into the spirit, too. I was wearing a sweatshirt that was striped with red and white like a candy cane and I wore a Santa hat that I had since I was two. I wore it every year.

I hummed along to the music and Charlie smiled at me as I reached up on my tiptoes, not quite reaching the top, no matter how small the tree was this year.

Charlie took it and put the ornament at the top for me. "Thanks," I muttered.

I stood back and looked at my work. I was like an artist, I was never happy with whatever I did. Sometimes I redid it once or twice until I was happy with it. But this year I think I did a good enough job for the first time. I smiled and sat down on the couch.

"Hey, Bella?" asked Charlie as he sat down beside me. "Hmm?" I asked.

"I am going over to Billy's for a bit tonight, since it's just him and Jake this year. You can tag along if you like?" he suggested.

I shook my head, "Thanks dad, but Edward is supposed to be coming over soon." Charlie shrugged and stood up. He pulled on his coat and headed toward the door. I followed him to the front door and waved as he drove away.

I closed the door to keep the cold and snow out of the house and walked into the kitchen. I warmed up some milk for hot chocolate. I mixed in the powder and added some melted chocolate for flavor. I inhaled it and sat at the table. I took a few sips, favoring the chocolaty taste, when the doorbell rang.

I set down my cup and ran to the door. As soon as it was open, s pair of arms almost knocked me off of my feet. Alice was bouncing up and down, "Merry Christmas, Bella!" she said happily. I smiled and hugged her back. She bounded into the house and I noticed with unease that Alice was holding a medium-sized box covered with shiny wrapping paper.

I turned back toward the doorway and Edward was standing in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me and bent his head down. Our lips touched and I lost control of my breathing while my heart went wild. He chuckled slightly before pulling away. "Merry Christmas," he said. I smiled at him and he led me back into the house, one arm still around my waist.

Alice was in the living room looking at the tree. "Wow, you did a nice job, Bella," she commented.

"Thanks," I mumbled shyly as Edward and I sat down on the couch. I leaned my head on his shoulder as the smooth Christmas music filled the room. Alice sat down on the floor in front of us. She smiled before holding up the gift that she had brought in.

I groaned, "Please, Alice, tell me this wasn't expensive."

She laughed, "Okay, it wasn't expensive. There, I told you, now open it!" She squealed excitedly as I took the box from her. I shook it slightly, listening to try to figure out what was inside. I grimaced as I tore off the wrapping paper. I opened the box and pulled out Alice's gift. It was a small leather bound chest. I looked at it curiously before opening it. Inside there was tons of makeup. They were all branded in some kind of French and looked really fancy.

I stared at Alice pointedly and she smiled. "Do you like it?" she asked. I had to admit that I thought that every gift she got me was generous even if it was unnecessary. I didn't want to accidently hurt her feelings, I did like it, and it was thoughtful. I put on a smile, "I love it Alice!"

She studied my face for a moment to make sure I wasn't lying before she smiled brightly, flashing her teeth.

Edward kissed my forehead, "I got you something, too." I turned and looked at him. I was about to open my mouth to speak but he interrupted me, "Yes, Bella, it is a hand-me-down."

I closed my mouth again. At least he didn't splurge on me like Alice did. Edward pulled out a small box from his pocket. It was wrapped in green wrapping paper and a perfectly tied red bow. He handed it to me and I studied it for a moment. I looked toward Edward suspiciously but he just smiled patiently.

I sighed and started to unwrap my gift. It was a small, old-fashioned music box. It was decorated with gold and silver lining with a red and green nutcracker painted on each side. It was beautiful. I stared at it in astonishment. I was speechless. I heard Edward laugh and he reached over.

He opened the top and I saw that thing that when it spins, the little dots hit the bars to make the notes (**sorry, but I didn't know what it was called**). It was painted gold and when the lid was open, it started to play. It was my lullaby. The tinkling notes played and it sounded like tiny bells. I stared at it as a small smile played on my face.

Edward pressed his cheek into my hair, "It was my mother's. My father gave it to her for Christmas one year when I was still little. I had Rosalie fiddle with it until it played our lullaby."

"Tell her that I said thank you," I said breathlessly. Edward put a hand under my chin and lifted up my face. He looked into my eyes for a moment before kissing me softly on the lips.

He pulled away after a few moments and I smiled. "Oh," interrupted Alice, "I almost forgot!" When I looked down she had disappeared. I looked around for a moment before the blur that was Alice zipped back into the room. She had another box and I inwardly groaned. Alice pushed it into my lap and retook her place on the floor. I looked at her in annoyance and started to unwrap the box.

I pulled out a gold picture frame and inside already was a photo. The entire Cullen family was in the picture. They each had a bright smile on their face and at the bottom there was a list of 'Merry Christmas' in seven different handwritings.

I smiled, "This is wonderful!" I said. Alice giggled. She said matter-of-factly, "It's from the rest of our family. Carlisle and Esme put it together." I smiled a thank you and leaned over Edward. I set the picture upright onto the side table.

I stood up, "I'll be right back; I got you guys gifts too. But they may not be as nice as these," I gestured to my three gifts. I ran up the stairs and grabbed a small bag out from under my bed. I back down the stairs and sat back down on the couch. Edward placed his arm back around my waist and I pulled out two boxes.

I handed the first to Alice. She took it with a squeal of excitement. She unwrapped it at human speed so that I was able to watch. She opened the box and threw her arms around me, "Oh, Bella, I love it!" It was a large silver locket. Inside were three dividers so that you could put in more pictures. The first picture was of Jasper and Alice while they were at prom that I had managed to get a hold of from Jasper. I left the other picture spots for Alice to put in.

"You're welcome," I choked out. She was hugging me a little too hard.

Edward put a hand on Alice's shoulder, "That's enough, Alice. You're hurting her." Alice let go put her smile stayed on her face as she looked down at the locket. I turned to Edward and handed him his present. He slowly tore off the paper with his free hand. He pulled out a small oval shaped picture frame. On the left side was Edward and I. I had taken the picture with the camera Renee had gotten me for my birthday. He laughed at that picture, we had been fooling around. He was trying to block my face from the camera and I was putting two fingers up, bunny ears, behind his head. We were both laughing hysterically in the picture.

But when Edward looked at the other picture, he gasped. It was an old black and white photo of a man, a woman, and a little baby. The man and woman weren't smiling, but they were still very beautiful. The baby's face looked happy and was smiling. The baby was Edward and the man and woman were Edward and Elizabeth Masen.

"How did you get this?" he asked, looking at me shocked. I smiled slightly, "Carlisle doctored them, remember? I asked him if it was possible to get a picture of them and he did some digging before he found it in some kind of archives."

Edward stared at the picture again. His face was expressionless. I wondered if I had made a mistake on getting the picture. But he looked up at me and smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Bella. You can't imagine how happy I am that I now have a picture of my parents." I smiled back, relieved, and he placed a loving kiss on my cheek.

Alice stood on her knees and looked at the picture that was lying in Edward's lap. She looked at them for a moment, "They were pretty, Edward. You look just like your mother. You were adorable as a baby!" Edward swatted at her playfully and she jumped away laughing.

I leaned my head back onto Edward's shoulder. I was happy that he liked his gift. "Alice?" I asked. She had been looking into the locket again and looked up at the sound of her name. "Could you please take everyone else's gifts to them tonight? I'm going to stay here; Charlie wants me to spend Christmas Eve with him."

Alice smiled, "Sure Bella! What did you get them anyway?" I thought for a moment.

"I got Emmett a baseball cap. I printed 'Cullen's Best Batter' on it. I got Jasper a first edition collection of classics that they had just gotten at the book shop. I got Rosalie a pair of red and silver rose barrettes. I got Carlisle and Esme a picture of all of us. You know, that one that I made everyone pose for the last time I was over?"

Alice laughed, "They'll love it. I know it. In fact, I'll take them now." Alice grabbed the bag and stood up to leave.

"Alice," I called, "I didn't mean you had to leave now. You can still stay." Alice laughed.

"I know. But I promised Rosalie that I would go shopping with her tonight before the mall closes. Merry Christmas, Bella! I'll see you tomorrow!" Then she was gone the next moment. I huffed in annoyance, they ran too fast.

Edward chuckled, "Those were thoughtful gifts."

I nodded, "Actually, they were hard to come up with. At first I wanted to get you all something… well, nicer. Because I knew that you would be getting me things like this," I motioned toward the large makeup chest Alice had given me, "And I wanted to get you guys something like that too. Ugh, but it was too much to handle."

Edward shook his head, "Your gift was the best I had ever gotten, Bella. And trust me; I have a hundred years of different Christmas presents to choose from."

I smiled and pressed my face into his neck. He wrapped both of his arms around me. He pressed his face into my hair again and I had to remind myself to breathe, _again_. After a while, Edward moved his head closer so he could see my face more clearly, "Well, Bella. Charlie is on his way home. I should leave for now."

I was instantly sitting up, "No, don't go," I said pathetically. He smiled and kissed my cheek again, "I will be back later tonight. I promise."

I pouted and he laughed. He bent down and kissed my lips. They were gentle and cold and I enjoyed it more than any other gift. I wrapped my arms around his neck, waiting for him to break away like he usually did. But this time he didn't. He still kissed me and I felt him pushing me back down onto the couch.

I was a little more than shocked, but didn't make any move to stop him. He placed one arm above my head and the other around my waist. I still had my arms around his neck and wouldn't let go. He gently urged my lips open until his sweet, icy breath filled my mouth. I felt myself grow lightheaded and Edward pulled away for me so I could gasp in some oxygen.

I let my hands fall on either side of my head and breathed heavily. Edward smiled, "You look blue this time, Bella. What am I going to do with you?" His lips were at mine again before I could reply. But after only a few moments, he pulled away again. "Merry Christmas, Love. I'll see you later tonight." Then he was gone. I heard the door quietly open and close.

I saw the headlights of Charlie's cruiser turn off in the driveway through the window. I sat up and straightened out my clothes before running to the kitchen. Charlie walked inside. "Hey, Bells. Sorry if I was gone too long."

I shook my head, "its ok, dad. What would you like for dinner?"

Charlie sat down at the table, "Whatever you feel like making. Oh, and Jacob wanted me to give you this."

He held out a large square piece of paper. I looked at it and smiled. It was a drawing. I never knew Jake could draw so well, but he had signed it at the bottom. It was a picture of him, as a wolf, licking me across the face: Much like he did that one night a while back when the pack had come to learn how to fight newborns.

I laughed at the picture, it was so well drawn. It was good enough to be a photo. I walked over to the fridge and set it with a magnet. Charlie looked at it in disgust, "The kids a good artist, but why would he draw you getting licked by a dog?"

I stopped, "Ummm," I didn't turn around, "It's an old joke from when we first met." Charlie shrugged. I breathed a sigh in relief that he didn't question it any more. I wondered if Jake did mean to do that just to get on my nerves. I made a mental note to throw mud on his bike the next time I saw him.

I sat down at the chair and laid my head on my arms. Charlie finally stood up and stretched, "Well, I'm turning in. Merry Christmas, Bella."

"Merry Christmas to you too dad."


End file.
